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Swanson’s wellness-based culture, creativity and hustle are at the heart of its growing Chicago office
(FARGO, ND and CHICAGO – April 16, 2018) Swanson Health, a wellness leader for nearly five decades, has been named no. 23 on the prestigious list of 100 best companies to work for by Crain’s Chicago Business. The annual survey recognizes Chicago businesses that excel in creating quality workplaces for employees, by measuring their satisfaction, ranging from workplace comforts to benefits and company culture.
Attracting and retaining top talent in the competitive fields of digital marketing, ecommerce and nutrition science requires a flourishing workplace,” said Katie Doyle, Chief Executive Officer at Swanson Health. “Our mission to help people around the world live simply healthier together inspires each of us every day, but it is also how we inspire one another, working together to build the company, that really makes our culture shine. Our team thrives on creativity, agility and hustle, and we couldn’t be more excited that these traits have helped us achieve recognition as one of the best places to work in Chicago.”
Swanson’s growing Chicago office provides competitive salaries, 401(k) matching, vacation policies and flexible work-life balance, but it’s the workplace environment and approach to health that sets them apart. Swanson embraces a mind and body wellness culture through team building activities, including events like challenging, brainteaser escape room outings, competitive ping pong games, and group yoga and spin classes. The team is also committed to community wellbeing, supporting charitable health causes like Cycle for Survival, for which they raised nearly $40,000 for rare cancer research earlier this year.
Senior leaders work to cultivate a true home-away-from-home as well, with a pet-friendly office (just ask furry friends, Molly, Cash, and Emmy!), cold brew coffee on tap, a comfy living area with snacks and pillows, and themed conference rooms, like ‘Little Hawaii’ with seashells and festive décor, all of which help bring a little more ‘om’ to the office. Swanson is so serious about culture, that each year they even designate a Chief Fun Officer, who’s tasked with organizing team events and activities – no birthday or “Swanniversary” goes unnoticed. Swanson also knows that food is at the heart of a lot of workplace comforts, so unsalted almonds, donuts, protein bars and even chili cook-offs all have their place.
Like other companies who have opened satellite offices downtown, Swanson opened its Chicago office in 2016 to expand their marketing, analytics and IT functions. The office serves as an extension of its headquarters in Fargo, ND where the company was founded in 1969, and from where the Chicago office draws inspiration for its tight-knit workplace culture. From an onsite fitness facility, to office Olympics, to an annual summer picnic, Swanson’s Fargo office has helped Chicago grow into another outstanding representation of the Swanson brand. Swanson’s dedication to creating environments where women can thrive also continues to span both offices. Today, women account for 53 percent of Swanson’s total workforce, including 75 percent of vice presidents.
“In order to keep pace with health and wellness trends, we all have to live the lifestyle,” said Shane Durkee, Swanson’s Chief Innovation Officer. “We all draw from personal influences and experiences to stay healthy, even when it comes to the products we develop.” For example, Swanson recently introduced its Real Food vitamin line, which is a new collection of supplements sourced entirely from real food that help fill nutrient gaps naturally. The line includes multivitamins for men and women, along with biotin, B-complex, niacin and folic acid supplements that are synthetic- and yeast-free. Each supplement has key nutrients derived from real food sources like lemon extract, cranberry concentrate, turmeric root extract, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa sprouts. Even better, they’re vegan and gluten-free, with just a few simple, real ingredients listed on the label.
Swanson Health is an award-winning company that continues to lead the vitamin and supplement industry with innovative, science-backed vitamins, supplements and healthy-living products, and is excited to be recognized for their award-winning culture now as well. Continue to watch for new product launches from Swanson this year and follow them for expert advice and tips on social media at @SwansonHealth.
About Swanson Health
Swanson Health started in 1969 in Fargo, ND with a mission to offer pure and potent health products at a great value. Nearly 50 years later, Swanson Health continues to innovate science-backed vitamins and supplements, delivering wellness solutions that help people worldwide live simply healthier together. Learn more and shop exclusively online at swanson.com.
For more information on the Best Places to Work in Chicago program, visit www.bestplacestoworkCHI.com.


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BlackBerry has recruited a new chief operating officer, Marty Beard, recently CEO of cloud customer service company LiveOps and before that an executive at Sybase.
U.S. civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has called on Twitter to release its employee diversity information, which its Silicon Valley peers such as Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn and Facebook have already done.
Two days after Hewlett-Packard said its chairman had resigned due to ill health, the company has named a replacement: President and CEO Meg Whitman.
Microsoft has announced that it will cut its workforce by up to 18,000 jobs, or 14 per cent, in the next year, as part of a broad effort to streamline the company in the wake of its acquisition of phone-maker Nokia.
Ralph Whitworth, who'd been chairman of Hewlett-Packard for just over a year, is resigning from his job for health reasons, HP said on Tuesday.
Facebook has followed Google and Yahoo in revealing just how diverse its workforce is, and just like the other two tech giants, it's a whole lot white and a whole lot male.
Acer named one of its co-founders, George Huang, to the post of company chairman as the Taiwanese PC maker battles to become a force in mobile devices and software.
SAP's former technology chief Vishal Sikka will head ailing Indian outsourcer Infosys, in a marked shift from his focus at his former company on technology and product development.
Three U.S. tech worker groups have launched a labor boycott of IBM, Infosys and Manpower, saying the companies have engaged in a pattern that discourages U.S. workers from applying for U.S. IT jobs by tailoring employment ads toward overseas workers.
Twitter and Foursquare both said Thursday that some high-ranking executives would be stepping down, with the changes coming as both companies look to expand and try out new products.
70 percent of Google's employees are men and 61 percent of its U.S. employees are white, according to a workforce diversity report released by the company.
Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe Systems have agreed to pay US$324.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the companies of entering into secret agreements not to hire each others' workers, according to a filing seeking preliminary appr...
NetSuite is facing a lawsuit from a skin care product retailer that alleges an overzealous salesman led them to buy a software system that utterly failed to meet its needs.
John Chambers may stay chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems for the time being, but with the company's financial results just beginning to emerge from a slump and major challenges remaining, it won't be an easy time to hold onto one of the longest leade...
Samsung offered its "sincerest apology" for the sickness and deaths of some of its workers, vowing to compensate those affected and their families.
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- Three quarters remote working businesses have no plan in the event of a cyber-attack, while 2 in 5 of these businesses admit they haven’t given the prospect a cyber-attack much thought
- Smaller businesses 20% more at risk than larger ones
- Just 23% of remote working businesses have invested in new software in the past year
With remote working being a feature of business life for the foreseeable future, new research has revealed around two million small businesses are potentially sleep walking into danger without the right contingency plan in place to deal with a cyber-attack.
A survey by Hitachi Capital Business Finance of over 1,000 small business senior decision makers found that around three quarters (73%) of remote working businesses (those working from home and in a hybrid set up) said they did not have a contingency plan for a cyber-attack, while two in five (38%) of these businesses admitted they had not even given the prospect of a cyber-attack much thought.
The results come at a time when ransomware attacks in the UK have doubled in a year, according to the GCHQ, with the director of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, saying cyber-crime is “largely uncontested” and “highly profitable” to criminal organisations.
In the past year, just 23% of remote working businesses had invested in new software.
Smaller businesses were found to be more at risk. Those with fewer than 10 employees were 20% more likely to be at risk from the damaging effects of a cyber-attack, according to the research. Four in five (83%) micro-businesses said they did not have a cyber-attack plan (with over a third (37%) admitting they had not given it much thought), compared with 67% of businesses with more than 50 employees.
By sector, the results suggested that those in media and marketing were among the most at risk. Over two thirds of small businesses in this sector planned to work remotely for at least the next six months, however 83% had no cyber attack plan in place (with a third admitting they had not given the issue much thought). Similarly, for those in retail (56% working remotely), 83% had no cyber attack plan in place (with a quarter admitting they had not given the issue much thought).
In terms of tech sophistication, 44% of remote working small businesses felt they were not using technology operationally each day to its fullest extent. Of these around 10% admitted that their tech capabilities held them back as a business, while the remainder believed they were behind the leaders in their market.
Joanna Morris, Head of Insight and Marketing at Hitachi Capital Business Finance, commented: “The shake up caused by the pandemic for small businesses produced enormous change to working practices for most, and as the dust of the pandemic gradually settles and the picture becomes clearer, remote working will be a more prominent feature than it was. As businesses transition to a new permanent way of working, areas will be exposed that could be exploited. As the number of businesses moving operations online increases, so too will the number of ransomware attacks.
“The fact that so many businesses working remotely do not have the right plans in place, or have even given this much thought, is a concern. Not keeping websites and systems up to date could allow hackers to steal staff, client or customer data, or damage a business’s reputation. Investing in proper security systems needs to be at the top of a list of priorities. Only with this peace of mind will it be possible to plan effectively for the long term.”
Notes to editors
2 million figure
There are 5.5 million small businesses in the UK in 2021 according to the FSB: https://www.fsb.org.uk/uk-small-business-statistics.html
50% are planning to work remotely for at least the next 6 months (22% working from home; 28% hybrid working), according to Hitachi Capital Business Finance research (equating to 2.75 million small businesses)
76% of 2.75m is 2,007,500
Small business research
The research was conducted in October 2021 by MaruBlue among a representative sample of 1,464 small business decision makers spanning industry sectors.


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PRETORIA: Wednesday, February 01, 2023: naamsa has expressed serious concern about the current loadshedding schedule and confirmed that January 2023 was by far the worst month in terms of the cumulative amount of loadshedding the country has ever experienced in a period of a month. Undoubtedly, the destructive higher stages of loadshedding have an amplified the negative impact on vehicle production and component manufacturing in South Africa. “Loadshedding is the biggest inhibitor to drive the industry’s localisation ambitions, create sustainable jobs within the auto sector and to further attract investment opportunities into the country to grow the South African economy”, said Mikel Mabasa, naamsa CEO.
“We welcome government’s intent announced recently to declare loadshedding a national state of disaster so that urgent resources and solutions can be mobilised to assist the country to recover from the current energy crisis”, Mabasa said. Reflecting on the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of January 2023 naamsa said that the new vehicle market had started the year on a positive but weak note. Aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in January 2023, at 43,509 units reflected an increase of 2,006 units, or 4,8%, from the 41,503 vehicles sold in January 2022. Export sales recorded a decline of 367 units, or 1,8%, to 20,536 units in January 2023 compared to the 20,903 vehicles exported in January 2022.
Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 43,509 vehicles, an estimated 36,353 units, or 83,6%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 12,1% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 2,2% sales to government, and 2,1% to industry corporate fleets.
The January 2023 new passenger car market at 31,072 units had registered an increase of 873 cars, or a gain of 2,9%, compared to the 30,199 new cars sold in January 2022. The car rental industry supported the new passenger car market during the month and accounted for a sound 16,2% of sales in January 2023.
Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini-buses at 10,622 units during January 2023 had recorded an increase of 998 units, or a gain of 10,4%, from the 9,624 light commercial vehicles sold during January 2022.
Sales for medium and heavy truck segments of the industry reflected a positive performance during the month and at 461 units and 1,354 units, respectively, showed an increase of 13 units, or 2,9% in the case of medium commercial vehicles, and, in the case of heavy trucks and buses an increase of 122 vehicles, or a gain of 9,9%, compared to the corresponding month last year.
The January 2023 exports sales number at 20,536 units reflected a decline of 367 vehicles, or 1,8%, compared to the 20,903 vehicles exported in January 2022.
The weak performance of the new vehicle market during the first month of the year is in line with expectations of a depressed economy along with ongoing structural problems and cost of living increases. The same challenges that confronted the economy and the automotive industry in 2022, such as persistent loadshedding, high inflation and interest rates, and currency depreciation have been carried over into 2023. During the month, the South African Reserve Bank has raised interest rates for the eighth consecutive time since November 2021 and adjusted the country’s GDP growth rate for 2023 down to only 0,3% due to extensive load-shedding and other logistical constraints. The Bank estimated that loadshedding would deduct as much as 2 percentage points from growth in 2023. A close correlation exists between new vehicle sales and the country’s GDP growth rate. It is expected that unpredictability in the new vehicle market will prevail but that sales would exceed the pre-COVID-19 level in 2023.
Vehicle exports performed weaker in January 2023 compared to the corresponding month 2022 but the export momentum remains upward. Notwithstanding the impact of the economic downturn as well as the ongoing geopolitical conflict risks, there are signs of the European economy avoiding a near-term recession while the re-opening of the Chinese economy would provide a further boost to global demand in general. Prospects for vehicle export growth remain optimistic on the back of further new model introductions by major exporters in the domestic market.


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Want to spend happy hour enjoying a Coke? Soon, in Japan, that will be a reality. Coca-Cola will be launching an alcoholic beverage in the Asian country. Chu-Hi, which is a popular drink there, “is made from a distilled beverage called shōchū, sparkling water and flavoring,” according to USA Today.
While the soft drink corporation doesn’t dabble much in alcohol, this isn’t the first time it has done so in its history. The initial concoction, created by founder John Pemberton, was a mix of wine and cocaine. He eventually swapped out the wine part (and the beverage contained cocaine until 1903). But in recent history, the Atlanta-based company has only marketed beverages that you don’t need an ID to purchase.
Coca-Cola routinely experiments with new, edgy product offerings in Japan, like Coca-Cola Plus, which contains fiber. According to Jorge Garduño, president of Coca-Cola’s Japan business unit, their branch “launches an average of 100 new products a year, and many times more are put to the test behind the scenes.”
As for this new take on Chu-Hi? It won’t be coming to a store near you in the United States. It also remains unclear when it will hit the shelves in Japan.


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May 15, 2015
Walmart is planning to test an online shipping subscription service similar to Amazon Prime, according to a report from The Information.
April 25, 2014
Amazon.com may add a fleet of delivery vehicles and has begun testing the initiative in the San Francisco area, as the online retailer moves toward same-day delivery.
We offer e-newsletters that deliver targeted news and information for the entire fleet industry.
The expert, Brian Fletcher from Eaton, will answer your questions
TomTom Partnership Adds Real-Time Accounting
Gates Offers 6 Heavy-Duty Water Pumps
Reyco Granning DM400e is Lighter Than Predecessor
Baldwin Filters Offers Aftermarket Filter Designed for Kenworth Models


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A new deal between Sony Pictures and Sky has given the U.K. broadcaster an exclusive access to its movies for TV showing six months after they hit the big screen. The movies are then tied up for at least a year to Sky. As recently as September, Sky signed a similar deal with Warner Brothers.
Despite picking up a million subscribers just seven months after launching in the U.K. in 2012, Netflix, thanks to this deal, will now seem a slightly paler competitor to Sky’s already dominant TV services. Both services also face competition from Lovefilm, which Amazon bought in 2011, and at the time was considered Europe’s answer to Netflix.
[Image: Flickr user mattjnewman]


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SEARCHED FOR:MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF INDIA
Medical device industry suffers up to 85% drop in revenues during Apr-June: MTaI
Medical technology industry has suffered around 50-85 per cent drop in revenue during April-June with a decline in surgical procedures at hospitals due to COVID-19 situation, industry body MTaI said on Wednesday.
Resumption of elective surgeries required to soften COVID-19 blow to healthcare sector: MTaI
Elective surgeries account for about 50 per cent...
MTaI urges govt to maintain liquidity in healthcare sector
Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) has urged the government to ensure ...
MTaI seeks streamlining of tax & duty structure to make medical devices affordable
"High customs duties have adversely impacted the costs of medical devices and equipment in India which contradicts the government's efforts to provide low cost healthcare available to masses through programs such as the AB-PMJAY," MTaI Director Sanjay Bhutani said.
MTal seeks immediate financial support to sustain operations
MTal said the situation of the sector has not improved much even after partial lifting of nationwide lockdown from April 20 as a result of which factories and warehouses of our member companies are either shut or operating at 20-30 per cent capacity. As the lockdown gets extended for another two weeks, these challenges will continue to impede the supply of medical devices unless the industry gets support from the government, it added.
MTaI members ready to brace up for any shortage of medical devices
The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) on Wednesday said its member companies are ready to brace up for any shortages in medical devices and equipment arising out of scarcity of raw materials from China due to coronavirus outbreak.
Retail prices of syringes marked up as much as 664%, shows new report
The report, which has analysed available data on the trade margins of these products, has also found the retail prices of needles to be marked up as much as 356% on average.
Drug eluting stents expected to get cheaper
The maximum price that patients should pay for drug eluting, bioresorbable vascular and biodegradable coronary stents was reduced to Rs 27,890, excluding goods and service tax
Govt's public procurement directive to states may restrict competition: MTaI
The timing of the directive, issued this month, is surprising as the industry is actively discussing the means to streamline public procurement of medical devices without disturbing the demand-supply equation.
Domestic stent makers gain on the back of price caps
This year, domestic stent firms are aiming for 60 per cent of the market estimated to be Rs 1,200 crore now due to a drop in the average prices of the stents, Rajiv Nath, AiMeD told ET.
Indian cardiac stents as expensive as imports: MNC association
Indian stents are not drastically cheaper to imported stents, says the Medical Technology Association of India
Latest draft of medical devices rules disappointing, says industry
The ministry has given the industry and other members of the public 30 days' time to respond to the notification with suggestions and objections.
New medical devices procurement guidelines propose to make 20-50% of components in India
DoP has prescribed the requirements based on its current understanding of the medical devices market in India, according to the draft.
Orthopaedic implants cost less than a third of the surgery: IMS Health
Procedure charges, doctor fees, medicine and consumable costs contribute around 65-75 per cent of the overall cost of a procedure concerning an orthopaedic device, according to IMS.
Government to soon bring Indian standardisation for medical devices: senior official
NITI Aayog member V K Paul, in his address at a conference here, said the standardisation is expected to be completed in the next two months.


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A total of 282 international exhibiting companies showed off innovative green building technologies at this year’s Build Eco Xpo Asia.
22 October, 2012
Lights for indoor plant cultivation, a new urban operating system for intelligent energy measurement, and technology that displays a live showcase on a 3D platform integrating visibility to building performance and efficiency – these were just some of the latest innovations that were being showcased at this year’s Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia, which ran from 10 to 12 October at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Some 282 companies from over 28 countries participated, with many displaying new technologies and products that had been developed over the past year. Importantly the fair facilitated a projected US$90 million worth of business deals over the three-day event, which Michelle Lim, Managing Director of organiser Reed Exhibitions Singapore says “is a strong testament to the green demand from the region”.
Industry experts were also at FOCUS @ Bex to share their views and expertise in the field of green design.
Read our interview with guest speaker Prof Jason Pomeroy, Founder and Principal of Pomeroy Studio, out soon.
Top image: Exhibitor from Vydro
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On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, Apple announced a new iteration of its smallest iPhone since 2016, iPhone SE. It starts at just $399, despite shipping with iPhone 11 series Bionic A13 Chipset and sports iPhone 8’s iconic Home Button, large bezels, Touch ID combo design.
As usual to its iPhones, Apple donates a portion from Product Red sales to help in fighting HIV/AIDS, but they’re doing it differently this time around, considering the turmoil in the world.
Apple says that it will donate a portion of proceeds from iPhone SE Product Red purchases to the Global COVID-19 Relief Fund tasked with “providing funding to countries in need of PPE, diagnostics treatment, lab equipment, public safety communications, supply chain support and more”
From now through September 30th, the company will donate a portion of product red sales from gadgets to accessories including iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands as well as the recently announced second-generation iPhone SE.
“Every iPhone SE (PRODUCT)RED purchase now contributes directly to the Global Fund to combat COVID-19,” the company said.
Product Red has been around for a while, founded by Red in partnership with major companies like Starbucks, Nike, and Apple to help deal with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Apple has been the largest corporate donor to Product Red with over $220 million channeled to the initiative since 2006.
But since the world is now in arms fighting a new enemy – a pandemic – it only makes sense for the company to chip in. Apple has been active in the fight against coronavirus.
The company, together with one of its biggest rivals, if not biggest, Google has released a contact tracking system. Apple has also donated over US$7 million in China to help fight the pandemic. Besides, towards the end of March, Apple donated 10 million masks to health professionals in the US and Europe.


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Wow, the National Retail Federation reported that 9 billion dollars are lost to return fraud every year by retailers. What is return fraud? According to a recent article in the online version of USA Today, return fraud is defined as “a crime where people exchange stolen goods for cash, use counterfeit receipts or bring back items that have already been worn or used.”
That is a lot of money to lose and it explains why retailers are concerned about their return policies.
Some of the fraud is perpetrated by customers and some by employees. Documenting these crimes for prosecution is the role of a good video security system. Cameras at point-of-sale registers can capture return fraud crimes in action and the video can be used in the prosecution of the perpetrators.
The key to using the video surveillance system to capture the evidence is to use the correct cameras with the right lenses and to have them focused on the view needed to maximize the capture of the evidence. As an example, a camera looking out over the store from behind the register clerk will not capture the evidence needed in a return fraud case involving the use of counterfeit store receipts.
Criminals are early adopters of technology so this type of fraud will continue. The correct application of security technology can help catch these criminals in action.
Email me at scotth@remote-protection if you have any questions or feedback.
-Scott Hightower, Verified Security


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General Motors recommended that 883 active and retired employees guard against possible identity theft after an employee downloaded personal information to their personal computer before retiring in May. In a letter to affected employees, GM explained that the now-retired employee copied two spreadsheets that contained names and social security numbers before leaving the firm.
“GM Security confirmed that the personal information was deleted on the former employee’s computer,” wrote John Quattrone, executive director for global product development human resources at General Motors. “We believe that no further copies of such data were made or distributed to other persons, though we cannot be certain of this.”
It is not clear whether the retired employee, whose name is not being released by GM, copied the information with malicious intent. GM is recommending that affected employees protect themselves from identity theft by activating a “fraud alert” available for free with the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.
“GM has completed an investigation of this incident and is contacting the affected individuals to inform them of precautionary steps they can take to protect against possible identity fraud,” the company said in a statement. “No cases of fraud have been reported related to this incident.”
Did you receive the letter in question from GM? If not, what tips would you give those affected by the incident? Sound off in the comments.


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Tuesday September 17, 2013
URC has announced the immediate availability of their new CC Control Mobile App
for Android devices. The app installs on Android phones or tablets and connects over the network to MRX series base stations, allowing full IR, RS-232, IP and relay-based operation of devices. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/17 at 10:31 PM
Tuesday August 20, 2013
URC has just announced a new wireless sensor relay for use with their Total Control lineup, along with a half dozen sensors. Dubbed the MRX-4SEN
, the compact device takes input from up to four connected sensors and relays this over 2.4GHz WiFi to an MRX-10 or -20 advanced network controller. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 8/20 at 9:11 AM
Thursday September 13, 2012
Okay, so we first heard about the Total Control TKP-7000 In-Wall Touchscreen
a year ago at CEDIA 2011
... but that doesn’t make it any less impressive now! With a 7” 1024x600 high-resolution screen, the TKP-7000 looks stunning no matter what wall it’s on. And with a wired Ethernet connection supporting PoE, it’s easy to install, too!
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/13 at 3:21 PM
Wednesday September 12, 2012
At CEDIA 2012, URC revealed a brand new gyroscopic-based addition to their network-enabled Total Control lineup. The minimalist TRG-100
and advanced TRG-200
handheld remote controls feature sleek, ergonomic designs, and mesh with the MRX-20
Advanced Network System Controller – offering a point-and-click-style motion-based control over a snazzy graphical on-screen interface that URC have dubbed “uMotion”.
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/12 at 12:37 PM
In the “aww, isn’t that cute!” department, URC has uncovered the tiny MRX-4IR
Base Station for use with Total Control remotes. The MRX-4IR has, predictably, 4 infrared emitter ports, plus a wired ethernet port for communication with other Total Control network devices. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/12 at 10:50 AM
Tuesday November 22, 2011
Those of you who remember my original CEDIA 2011 video release back in September, will recall that I mentioned there would be a grand total of 11 videos this year... and of course today’s announcement make number 12! Initial counting issues aside, this is indeed the final episode in this year’s series – and it’s a doozey!
Hank Eisengrein, booth tour guide extraordinaire, serves up a feast of information on URC’s latest and upcoming products including handheld remotes, in-wall controls, media players, security and commercial applications, a networked thermostat and a brand new 9.2-channel A/V processor. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 11/22 at 7:11 AM
Friday September 9, 2011
URC has announced two additions to their Total Control lineup of remote controls, including the TRC-1280 hybrid touchscreen/hard buttoned remote, plus the TKP-2000 in-wall touchscreen.
Also introduced is off-site programming, which will allow dealers to program, update or service Total Control systems from nearly anywhere. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/09 at 12:05 PM
New app offers 2-way network-based control over Total Control systems, similar to the company's TKP-2000 in-wall touchscreen. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/09 at 11:59 AM
URC has officially announced three new remotes in their Complete Control linup. First is the MX-1200 hybrid hard button & touchscreen remote, second is the MX-780 hard button and OLED screen combination, and third is the MXW-920 water resistant model. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/09 at 11:52 AM
Saturday September 3, 2011
With CEDIA Expo 2011 beginning next week, URC has revealed that they are developing an iPad and iPhone app for their new Total Control system. Read more...
Posted by Daniel Tonks on 9/03 at 7:50 AM


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ASEAN KEY DESTINATIONS
Malaysian growth slows in third quarter
Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the more modest performance in the quarter would not seriously dent the recovery of the export-dependent economy.
"The economy has continued to remain on a recovery path. We're very likely to have growth of six to seven percent this year," she told reporters.
Zeti attributed the slower growth to weaker global demand for electrical and electronic products, particularly semiconductors.
The economy grew at a robust 8.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter after posting a strong 10.1 percent in the first quarter.
Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, was hit hard by the global slowdown and its economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.
Zeti warned there was increasing uncertainty over the sustainability of global economic recovery.
"Amid the moderation in global recovery, the pace of growth of the Malaysian economy will be influenced by the expected continued slowdown in external demand," the central bank said in a statement.
"Overall (Malaysia's) growth will continue to be supported by robust domestic economic activity."
Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also the finance minister, on Monday said that Malaysia could achieve growth of above six percent this year despite the slower third quarter.
Zeti said growth in the third quarter was driven by domestic demand and supported by private spending while all major economic sectors expanded except for mining.
Inflation stood at 1.9 percent during the period due to higher prices for food and beverages.
She said that while the ringgit has appreciated by 5.5 percent against the US dollar during the quarter it "has not affected" Malaysia's growth and exports demand..
In September Malaysia unveiled an Economic Transformation Plan aimed at creating 3.3 million jobs and propelling the country towards developed-nation status over the next 10 years.
The government is trying to address a sharp decline in foreign direct investment, which fell 81 percent to US$1.4 billion in 2009 from US$7.3 billion in 2008.
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Local businesses are among award finalists
Two Monmouthshire businesses are among those named by Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid as finalists for the highly anticipated Wales Business Awards 2022.
Drop Bear Beer Company and Creo Medical Ltd are two of the 34 impressive companies that have been named as finalists across 10 categories such as Digital Business of the Year, Green Business of the Year and Innovative Business of the Year.
Drop Bear Beer Company is an award-winning brewer of alcohol-free craft beer founded in 2019 by Joelle Drummond and Sarah McNena.
As reported earlier this year, the company have submitted plans to develop the world’s first carbon-neutral alcohol-free craft brewery ion the outskirts of Abergavenny.
Drop Bear Beer Company founder Joelle Drummond is amongst the finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Creo Medical Ltd is a medical equipment manufacturing firm based in Chepstow, and are up for Innovative Business of the Year.
Now in their 19th year, the Wales Business awards provide SME businesses across the country with the opportunity to compete for Wales’ most prestigious accolades. This year, over 180 entries were received from businesses across Wales from all sizes sectors, all vying for a top place.
After submitting their initial entries, shortlisted businesses went through a rigorous interview process to then be named as finalists.
A full list of this year’s finalists can be found at https://cw-seswm.com/events/awards-2022/
Paul Slevin, president of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “Our categories this year allow for the representation and celebration of so many different companies, who have been doing great things, not just for their customers, but for their staff, the environment, and the Welsh economy.
“Each business has come through a rigorous process to get to this position, and so we’re confident that these finalists really do represent the cream of the crop when it comes to what Wales has to offer.”
This year, Avast Business will be supporting the Wales Business Awards as headline sponsor, and will be joined in supporting the awards by other sponsors including University of South Wales and Welsh Government.
Winners of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on 9 June at St Fagans National Museum of History, with TV broadcaster Gethin Jones returning as host.
Tickets can be purchased at https://my.cw-seswm.com/calendar_detail.html?eid=D64259B4-74D3-465A-A61B-0755A7EBB8E8
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Qatar Airways Cargo celebrates Miami freighter launch
20 / 02 / 2017
Qatar Airways Cargo inaugurated a Boeing 777 freighter connection with Miami International Airport (MIA) from its Doha hub on February 2, the route also taking in South American stops at Sao Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Quito in Ecuador, as well as in Luxembourg.
The inaugural was celebrated with a traditional water salute at Miami’s cargo terminal.
The twice-weekly freighter service leaves Doha for the carrier’s European freight hub in Luxembourg before crossing the Atlantic for the three stops in South America and then flying on to its final destination in Florida.
On the return trip, the freighter stops at Liege, Belgium, before arriving back in Doha.
Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways chief officer cargo, remarked: “Our recent launch of a freighter service to these new destinations across the Americas is another successful start-up for Qatar Airways Cargo and we are grateful to the local authorities and customers for their immense support.
“We strive to connect these burgeoning import and export markets in the Americas with the rest of the world. Miami, in particular, is an important distribution hub for our air freight moving to and from the Latin American and Caribbean regions, given that Florida is an exporting powerhouse equipped with robust trade and supply chain infrastructure,” he observed.
Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez added: “Our community already benefits from the daily world-class passenger service Qatar Airways provides to Doha and we look forward to the additional impact its cargo service will have on our local economy.”
The addition of these new stops on the Qatar Airways Cargo network brings to 12 the number of cities the carrier serves in the Americas with freighter services.
The additional 200 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity now offered also supplements the bellyhold cargo capacity available on Qatar Airways’ daily passenger flights to Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Miami.
Major commodities flown out of Sao Paulo, Bueno Aires and Quito typically include fresh flowers, perishables and pharmaceuticals, whilst imports into South America include a wide variety of products ranging from medicines, automotive and chemical products to high-tech commodities and equipment for the oil and gas industry.
The carrier views the new route as being of particular value to exporters of perishables and pharmaceuticals.
The cargo carrier only recently added Sao Paulo as the 71st destination on its QR Pharma network.


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APPLICATIONS for the Government’s new Local Restrictions Support Grant are now open.
The grant is available to all businesses which were open on 4 November but, by law, have had to close or cease their main business during the current lockdown.
Each eligible property will receive a one-off payment of:
- £1,334 if the rateable value is £15,000 or under
- £2,000 if the rateable value is more than £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £3,000 if the rateable value is more than £51,000
Cllr Shane Hebb, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Thurrock Council distributed more than £22m of government business grants during the first lockdown and I urge local businesses which has had to close to take advantage of this new grant by applying now.
“Government funding has provided many businesses a vital financial lifelines throughout the coronavirus epidemic and WE want to make sure no local businesses misses out during this lockdown.
“If your business is eligible and has had to close because of the current restrictions it is important you go online today and apply for this funding through the council’s website.”
Any business owner who thinks they are eligible should visit thurrock.gov.uk/business-rates/restrictions-support-grants to find out more and complete the simple online form.


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SPNI launches Marathi GEC to expand its regional share
After Bengali channel Sony Aath, SPNI ventures into Marathi with a new GEC
Sony Pictures Network India is planning to expand its regional bouquet with the launch of a Marathi general entertainment channel (GEC.)
According to sources, Ajay Bhalwankar will lead the new GEC. He has been with SPNI (Sony Pictures Network India) for five years. Initially as a programming head for SET from November 2009 to June 2011 and then returning to SET as Chief Creative Director in 2014.
This will be the second regional property from SPNI after its Bengali channel Sony Aath.
Exchange4media.com reached out to SPNI for confirmation. “Yes, we shall be launching a Marathi channel soon. We shall share details on the date and who will be leading it later,” said an official statement.
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Portugal Is Cutting its Way Deeper Into Crisis. Could Britain Follow? (New Statesman)
A year ago, writes David “Danny” Blanchflower, the Bruce V. Rauner 1978 Professor of Economics and a former Bank of England policy maker, the UK’s economy was nothing like the troubled economy of Portugal. Now, he observes, with growth and consumer confidence falling in the UK and unemployment and inflation rising, there are some unsettling parallels.


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PayPal is now in the mobile peer-to-peer payments game. Again.
The company this morning launched PayPal.me, a mobile payments service that lets users send money to each other over the web, email, or text message without having to download a dedicated mobile app. If this sounds familiar, that's because a whole host of other companies, including Jack Dorsey's Square, Snapchat, and Google (via Android Pay), already do the same thing.
PayPal's own Venmo, which is particularly popular with younger people, also lets users send money to each other using their smartphones. The key difference between Venmo and PayPal.me is that PayPal.me is available in 18 countries worldwide while Venmo is currently limited to the US.
Transactions linked to bank accounts and debit cards are free for users, while transactions linked to credit cards see a 2.9 percent fee charged to the person making the payment. All parties must already have a PayPal account configured to be able to send and receive money.
PayPal is jumping into mobile payment again because there's literally $1 trillion at stake, according to research firm IDC. The worldwide mobile payments market is expected to grow to that amount by 2017, up from $500 billion projected this year. Those percentage points that PayPal and co. add to the top of your group dinner bill add up quickly.


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Today’s young employees are the engines of the knowledge economy and tomorrow’s business leaders. And according to The Born Digital Effect, the latest research from Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS), they’re primed to deliver an extra USD $1.9 trillion (AUD $2.45 trillion) in corporate profits. But they’ll need some help to pull it off.
Made up of Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) and Generation Z (born after 1997) workers, the ‘Born Digital’ are the first generation to grow up in an entirely digital world, and now account for most of the global workforce.
“These young employees are different from previous generations in that they have only ever known a tech-driven world of work,” said Donna Kimmel, Executive Vice President of Chief People Officer, Citrix. “To shore up their future business success, companies must understand their values, career aspirations and working styles and invest in their development.”
To help them do this, Citrix, together with Coleman Parks Research and Oxford Analytica, conducted The Born Digital Effect, a study that combined global opinion research from 1,000 business leaders and 2,000 knowledge workers in 10 countries to understand what the Born Digital want from work; with economic modelling to quantify the impact they can have on business and the larger economy.
Citrix Australia also surveyed more than 1,500 Australian knowledge workers who worked from home at some point since March 2020, to explore the impacts of the pandemic on the attitudes of new office workers.
More than half (51 per cent) of younger Australians aged 18 to 24 years old (the Born Digital) entered the workforce for the first time and worked remotely during the pandemic, with two in three (66 per cent) wanting flexible working arrangements to manage workloads and wellbeing.
But while the majority (54 per cent) claimed to experience a better work-life balance after primarily working remotely, this cohort was also the most likely to be experiencing symptoms of burnout (40 per cent) as a result of working from home, compared to all other generations in our workforce.
The Australian study also revealed that 32 per cent of Born Digital employees don’t feel empowered to ask their employer for flexible working arrangements, with an even higher proportion (49 per cent) expecting to eventually go back to ‘old ways of working’.
This is despite Australian Born Digital employees feeling efficient (31 per cent) when working remotely, and more than half (51 per cent) claiming that they would be more likely to return to work after parental leave if given the opportunity to work from anywhere.
The Australian study reflects findings from The Born Digital Effect global study, reiterating the importance for organisations to adapt to the shift in employee expectations about how work gets done, in order to attract and retain talent, unlock workforce productivity and benefit from corporate and economic gains.
“Successfully attracting and retaining the Born Digital will require organisations to invest in the work model and tools to create the flexible, efficient and engaged work environment that this next generation of leaders craves and thrives in,” said Tim Minahan, Executive Vice President of Business Strategy, Citrix. “And there is clear commercial benefit to doing so.”


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Did you think we’d let you finish out your evening with only one shorts post today? Think again minions.
- Like Mount & Blade? Like Lord of the Rings? Then, you are gonna love this mod. Pictures of it are over on PC Gamer.
- Cliff Bleszinski likes Mass Effect 3.
- Remember: the Tribes Ascend closed beta starts tomorrow. Have you signed up?
- More iPhone 5 rumors are out and about, already.
- Premier Manager 2012 will arrive on PSN November 9.
- VidZone has been updated and the artist of the week is Coldplay.
- Facebook game maker RockYou has been hit with layoffs. Around 55 people are expected to be affected.
- Maverick Studios are working on a horror MMO called Unveiled: The Supernatural.
- The US International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Nintendo after Motiva filed an infringement lawsuit over its patent for a “human movement measurement system”.
- Facebook is set to become the biggest multiplayer platform according to Supercell’s CEO.
- Nintendownloads this week include Balloon Kid, 1950s Lawn Mower Kids, Gnomz, and House M.D.
- CCP is working on a new nebulae for EVE Online.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.


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The European Commission said the €694m (£600m) proposed deal would have "harmed consumers by creating a monopoly or a dominant position on 46 routes where, currently, Aer Lingus and Ryanair compete vigorously against each other".
Ryanair had sought to alleviate competition concerns by striking a deal with UK regional carrier Flybe, which had agreed to take on 43 Aer Lingus routes if the deal was approved. British Airways-owned IAG had also agreed to operate routes between Ireland the Gatwick airport.
The Commission said it had assessed the remedies offered by Ryanair "thoroughly" and had also carried out several market tests.
"However the remedies proposed fell short of addressing the competition concerns raised by the Commission," it said in a statement on Wednesday.
European Competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia added: "The Commission's decision protects more than 11 million Irish and European passengers who travel each year to and from Dublin, Cork, Knock and Shannon.
"For them, the acquisition of Aer Lingus by Ryanair would have most likely led to higher fares. During the procedure, Ryanair had many opportunities to offer remedies and to improve them.
"However, those proposals were simply inadequate to solve the very serious competition problems which this acquisition would have created on no less than 46 routes."
Ryanair, which has made three attempts to buy Aer Lingus since 2006, said the decision was "political" and accused the EC of failing to "apply its own competition rules and precedents in a fair and dispassionate manner".
Robin Kiely, spokesman for Ryanair, said: "We regret that this prohibition is manifestly motivated by narrow political interests rather than competition concerns and we believe that we have strong grounds for appealing and overturning this politically-inspired prohibition.
"Accordingly, Ryanair has instructed its legal advisers to prepare a comprehensive appeal against this manifestly unjust prohibition.”
Aer Lingus welcomed the EC's decision.
Christoph Mueller, chief executive of Aer Lingus, said: “Aer Lingus’ position from the outset has been that Ryanair’s offer should never have been made. The series of inadequate remedy offers presented by Ryanair only underlines the view that Ryanair made its offer without any reasonable belief that it could obtain clearance.”


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Last year when Google introduced the Nexus 4 smartphone the world sighed hearing that it wont sport 4G connectivity. Fifteen days ago PocketDroid reported about a mysterious LG E-980 which went through Bluetooth certification and which we suspect it is the Nexus 4 with LTE implementation. It kinda make sense for Google and LG to launch a LTE variant as the world is moving towards full 4G coverage.
A White Nexus 4 unit has been spotted in the wild by an annonymous tipster who sent the above image to PhoneArena. Judging from what we have here it looks like a legit Nexus 4 unit, altough it could be a hoax, which is why we advise to take this with a grain of salt.


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Retykle, online circular retail platform for kids is launching a pop-up store for three months at K11 Musea, which aims to symbolise a strong advocacy for the role resale plays in the future of retail and sustainable consumption.
Starting from 29 August 2022, Retykle’s pop-up store will be offering a premium in-store experience as well as an opportunity for customers to drop-off their outgrown children’s clothes to sell with Retykle. Parents have joined the Retykle community as an easy way to embrace sustainable consumption and lower their environmental impact whilst benefiting from attractive earnings and savings. The pop up at K11 Musea will offer the opportunity to introduce many new Retyklers to the cycle.
The retailer understands that the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters to the planet and it is critical that fashion brands and retailers drive a sustainable future by adopting and incorporating low carbon and climate-resilient business models. Hence it chose K11 Musea as their partner in the sustainability project as the mall is seen as a trailblazer in their sustainability efforts.
During the event, customers will be able to shop a curated edit from Retykle’s more than 2,500 designer brands including Jacadi, Bonpoint, Ralph Lauren, Seed, Moncler and many more. Ranging from new with tags to gently used condition for kids aged 0-14, the edit will be refreshed with hundreds of new items daily.
Retykle will also be collecting outgrown secondhand children’s clothes at the pop-up location for consignment at retykle.com.
Sarah Garner, founder and CEO of Retykle, said: "When a mall with the prominence of K11 Musea invites Retykle to be a part of their brand matrix, it is a signal to the whole industry that resale is going to be a part of the future of retail in a congruent and meaningful way. Circular solutions will complement traditional retail and help to promote responsible and sustainable consumption."
Circular solutions like Retykle are crucial to solve the sustainability challenge in the fashion industry. Through its platform, Retykle is creating a longer lifespan for children’s products and is working to create a fully circular solution that eliminates waste associated with kids all together.
To date, Retykle has re-circulated over 200,000 items of clothing, saving 1,180,000 lb of carbon and 907 million liters of water. Throughout its business, Retykle has incorporated eco-friendly practices to reduce its emissions from business operations and recently launched a carbon savings calculator to help their community understand the environmental significance of purchasing decisions.
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Aug 3, 2020|
Counterfeit Seller Fined RMB 1m Yuan Penalty by Court
by Martin Li
A cosmetics merchant has been requested by a court in Beijing last week to pay JD.com RMB one million yuan as a default penalty.
In a regular sampling check by JD, the merchant was found to be selling counterfeit products of a renowned cosmetic brand.
JD informed the merchant that it had broken the law by selling counterfeits, but received no reply. Then JD removed counterfeit products and closed the online store
However, the merchant brought JD to court and asked for return of fees including those charged for its use of JD’s e-commerce platform.
This led to a countercharge by JD. The e-commerce giant asked for RMB 2 million yuan from the merchant as a default penalty for its selling of counterfeit products, which is against the agreement between the merchant and JD to only sell authentic products.
The court in Daxing District, Beijing, said JD proved the merchant’s counterfeit selling and all the measures it took complied with related rules. The case is the first default case involving an online counterfeit seller handled by a court in Beijing.


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Almost 2,000 people lined up outside the Beijing headquarters of bike-sharing company Ofo on Monday in an effort to get their deposits back. The company has come under immense pressure of late, with more than 10 million users currently seeking refunds on their deposits of RMB99 and RMB199, which are required to use the bike-sharing platform.
While initially the waiting time for refunds on deposits was three days, due to the overwhelming number of people seeking money back, Ofo had to change the waiting time to 15 days. Some users have reportedly been waiting for their refunds for months.
In order for the company to accomodate all of the refund claims, they would have to pay out hundreds of millions of renminbi.
Screengrab via The Paper
As thousands lined up for hours at the company’s headquarters in Zhongguancun, some people in the queue brought food and drinks, while one woman was spotted knitting in order to pass the time.
Ofo has come out and stated that users will be refunded in order of their application. It's unclear whether customers waiting in line at the company's head office were given precedence over those awaiting refunds online, however, according to witness reports by China Daily, some who queued were unable to get their money back.
While the online waiting list of more than 10 million users may seem like a lot, the situation has the potential to get a lot worse: Ofo’s customer base was estimated at around 200 million in December of 2017 by the company’s founder Dai Wei.
According to reports by Phoenix Finance on their Weibo page, one user jumped in line from No. 1,469,780 to No. 1,461,692 over the course of December 18, which seems to indicate that just 8,088 customers had received refunds that day.
Screengrab via The Paper
Earlier this year, Ofo’s rivals Mobike and Happybike eliminated the deposit feature on their service. That follows on from guidelines released by the Ministry of Transport suggesting that the use of bike deposits should be restricted, according to China Daily.
As pressure has ramped up, Ofo has also found itself in the midst of a spate of lawsuits from business partners. South China Morning Post reports that the company’s bike suppliers, Shanghai Phoenix Bicycles and Tianjin Flying Pigeon Cycle Manufacturing, as well as logistics providers Best and Deppon Logistics, have all sued the company.
Just last year Ofo was evaluated at RMB2 billion. Their fortunes took a turn for the worst earlier this year as they were forced to scale back their global operations, taking their bikes out of a number of countries, such as India, Australia and Germany.
[Cover image via @澎湃新闻/Weibo]


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Cape Town’s 2021/22 cruise season officially opened Tuesday with the arrival of the German luxury liner Europa, and cruise tourism officials said the season will remain open despite a slew of expected cancellations.
Europa was meant to cruise roundtrip from Cape Town, but has instead opted to head directly for Mauritius, while Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled its December itineraries in South Africa.
Despite this, cruise officials in South Africa say the Cape Town cruise season will remain open to all cruise ships that still wish to call in the city and cruise from it on popular South African itineraries.
Lorraine Mabindisa, acting corproate affairs manager of TNPA, said Cape Town was scheduled to receive vessels from Walvis Bay and Luderitz along the Namibian coast, Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.
“The Cape Town Cruise Terminal is planned to handle 29 ships, booked to arrive from November 30 to May 2022,” said Mabindisa.
Tshepo Ramonyaluoe, Cape Town’s acting port manager at TNPA, added: “Cruise tourism has a significant economic impact, contributing substantially to local, regional and national economies.”
“Therefore, the resuming of cruise tourism is a much-needed economic boost,” he said. “The local economy’s main revenues from the cruise industry includes and is not limited to crew and passenger ashore spending, shore excursions and tours as well as vessel supplies and services.”
The summer season is vital for Cape Town, which lost an estimated 75,000 tourism jobs in the pandemic.
Cape Town had expected to make a strong comeback after the global cruise shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020. Instead, the emergence of the Omicron variant has prompted countries around the world to ban travellers from South Africa.
The move has cut South Africa off from its largest fly-cruise source markets, forcing cruise lines to redeploy ships away from the country.
“This has been a hammer blow to our major job-creating sector in the province precisely when we needed a recovery, to claw back jobs lost over the last 19 months,” said Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape province.
Cruise liners scheduled to call in Cape Town this season include MSC Cruises, Ponant, Azamara, Silversea Cruises, Regent, Crystal Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd.
Hapag-Lloyd has already had to cancel all shore excursions in Cape Town for its passengers, while Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled its December cruises from the city. MSC Cruises has confirmed it will homeport in Durban and Cape Town as planned, while Azamara has said it is monitoring the situation.
Ramonyaluoe added that statistics from the Port of Cape Town have shown solid growth in cruise shipping volumes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving the city a positive long-term outlook.
“TNPA continues to explore ways to accommodate the steady growing demand and be of support to the cruise industry,” he said.
“As one of the most beautiful ports in the world, the Port of Cape Town is open and ready to safely welcome cruise passengers to Cape Town and the Western Cape,” he added.


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Dairy Crest’s formula milk price has slid downwards again, as markets had a subdued start to 2015.
Farmers with milk priced by the cost-and-commodity tracker will receive 28.641p/litre in March, 0.384p/litre less than the month before.
Bulk cream values slipped below £1,000/t in January and the average retail price for four pints of milk dropped by a penny, after Asda slashed the price to 89p.
Inputs were more mixed, as fertiliser and concentrate values continued to creep upwards while plunging oil prices took red diesel to six-year lows.
Michael Masters, secretary of suppliers’ group Dairy Crest Direct, said the formula options would carry an advantage of more than 5p/litre above the company’s liquid contract.
Last week Dairy Crest cut both its headline milk prices by 1.5p/litre for March, but promised they would not fall further until July.
“If cream values can retain recent EU market gains at over £1,000/t, and if feed prices continue to be sustained at the current level, this will help support the formula April price,” Mr Masters said.
Dairy Crest announced in early January that it would take 1.6p/litre off the formula in January 2016, after it opened a wide gap with the discretionary rates.
More than 200 Dairy Crest suppliers have some milk priced by the tracker.
The formula contract is based on market returns for January, but dairy commodities have looked more positive in the last fortnight.
Average prices on the Global Dairy Trade auctioned surged 9.4% at the last sale, with whole milk powder values enjoying a stunning 19.2% rise.
A report from trader INTL FCStone said this helped sentiment in European trade stay bullish, with butter and powders well supported.
It said the lower volumes sold on the GDT auction and dry conditions in New Zealand were the main drivers from Oceania.
“This in conjunction with current lower domestic European production on the back of a combination of lower milk prices and the superlevy situation for many of the major European producers has seen the market continue to react to the upside,” the report said.
UK milk production continues to slow down, as supplies in the two weeks to 31 January were just 0.6% higher than the same week in 2014.
French production is also not showing the usual seasonal rise, with collected volumes down 4.3% on the year.


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Elon Musk believes we are ready for a mind meld, but instead of connecting the brains of two Vulcans, a la "Star Trek," the billionaire entrepreneur wants to link human brains with computers.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors is exploring just such a connection through another company he has launched, called Neuralink, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Musk has taken an active role in developing what he calls "neural lace" technology, which involves installing tiny electrodes in the brain to transmit thoughts.
It wasn't clear what type of products the company will produce, but they are expected to have medical applications, such treating as brain disorders like epilepsy or major depression. The approach could mirror that of deep brain stimulation, which uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device to treat neurological symptoms, most commonly Parkinson's effects such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he teased a couple of times in recent months that an announcement might be coming soon. "Making progress [on neural lace]," he tweeted in August "maybe something to announce in a few months." In January, he tweeted that an announcement could come as early as February.


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American Agri-Women Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Video by Krystal Doolittle.
American Agri-Women (AAW) announces its “Ag Day is Every Day Campaign” and invites farmers, ranchers and consumers to join in and celebrate the fact that everyone is part of agriculture, every day. The campaign is also raising awareness about who produces our nation’s abundant food, fiber and energy supply.
The “Ag Day is Every Day” campaign, or #AgDay365, is inspired by and builds on the important connections made on National Ag Day, which was celebrated in March and organized by the Agriculture Council of America.
AAW members have already been promoting #AgDay365 on social media, in special events and in personal conversations. AAW recently hosted 100 students on National Ag Day for a “Raising Voices Together” social media event. Other events are being coordinated this year by AAW or by its state and commodity affiliates, such as harvest dinners in the field; state fair activities; social media challenges; connecting with consumers at farmers markets and restaurants; working with urban agriculture efforts; food drives and pollinator projects.
The goal of the campaign is for the #AgDay365 campaign to continue on, joining forces with commodity groups, advocacy groups and others. Learn more.
Agricultural Public Service Announcements


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Customer satisfaction with the auto insurance claims experience has fallen 13 points to 842 (on a 1,000-point scale), its lowest level in nine months, according to J.D. Power and Associates. The finding is based on interviews in January and February of this year with 3,700 drivers who filed a claim within the previous six months.
Satisfaction with the repair process portion of the claim fell 15 points. But the findings found that although customers were less pleased with the amount of time it took to get their vehicles back, nearly half acknowledged they delayed dropping off their vehicle at a shop to wait for a more convenient time.
“Many times the car is still drivable, so they wait,” Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power, said. “The problem is that skews how long it takes to get their car back from the point at which they report damage.”
J.D. Power also reported in late April that only 25 percent of insurance customers said that they’d shopped for a new insurer in the past 12 months, down eight percentage points from 2011. But 43 percent of those who shopped said they switched, the highest percent since the J.D. Power started measuring auto insurer retention in 2008.
“Although fewer consumers are shopping for insurance, more current customers who do are willing to make a switch based on competitive quotes,” Bowler said.
Bowler noted that the customer-retention rates are increasing at a time when auto insurers are spending more money to encourage switching. He notes that advertising expenditures increased 12 percent in 2011 compared to 2010.


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Snow, wind and rain are all a threat to safe driving, but now experts are warning against yet another hazard, sunshine.
According to RAC Auto Windscreens, the onset of summer doesn't mean we're in the clear as far as hazardous driving conditions are concerned - and the company has launched a campaign to make drivers aware of the hazards posed by driving in the sun.
The company warns that dirty windscreens can severely impare visibility in bright sunshine.
Says Jason Jones, the firm's brand and marketing manager: "Low level sunlight which is common in early summer can seriously affect visibility - especially if the windscreen is covered with dirt and grime.
"The problem is made worse by tired and lifeless wiper blades which smear and streak the windscreen. Not only that, but drivers risk a vehicle defect notice or even a fixed penalty ticket if caught driving with either no screen wash fluid or worn wipers."
According to RAC Auto Windscreens at least 50 per cent of motorists fail to keep their screens clean with the majority of drivers admitting to going for several days with an empty washer bottle.


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Yes, we pulled a Black Ops II prank on April Fools, but this time we are being serious, and it’s looking good for those are wanting Black Ops II on Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
Black Ops II is being advertised to be on sale soon, and in the trailer for this upcoming sale, every Xbox 360 advertised was a backwards compatible game. That can be said for all of the Xbox 360 games other than one, and yes that is Black Ops II. It seems weird that Microsoft is promoting BC only Xbox 360 games other than Black Ops II. There is also a trend of upcoming or new BC titles being on sale, so this could be another hint.
Again this is all speculation and rumors for now, but it could be the best looking news for Black Ops II coming to the service in a while. Here’s a look at the moment when Black Ops II can be seen in the sales trailer.


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Northeast Ohio-based China Expert Says Tariffs Are 'Likely Permanent,' but Could Bring Back Jobs
An expert on doing business in China says Northeast Ohio companies will likely need to get used to the tariffs placed on their goods by the Chinese government. But that could also bring some jobs back to the U.S.
The Trump administration has placed 25 percent tariffs on about half of the more than $500 billion in goods imported from China each year. That’s spurred China to levy tariffs on some U.S. goods.
Matt Fuss is vice president of global supply chain at Kent-based Ametek. He works with three facilities in China that make components for motors for his company. He says workers in Northeast Ohio may see one benefit from the tariffs as companies explore moving jobs out of China.
“You’ll see manufacturing demand – industries that were decimated [like] toolmakers and dies and machinists – I think that will start to boom. Those are probably the first industries that will start to pick up.”
Fuss adds that any production that does return to the U.S. will likely be highly automated and highly technical.


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Users of the iPhone 3G S can now add video to their tweets using a new service called TwitVid, which also provides video sharing for Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.
TwitVid is a California start-up that allows users to take videos from their mobile phones and webcams and upload them directly to Twitter with instant playback
“As a matter of fact, TwitVid.com is the only video app that lets your friends start watching your video, even before you’ve finished uploading it to TwitVid.com,” the company said in its blog.
“Mobile video has now become the best way to share your life experiences with your friends. Video can even shape current events and ultimately history, as the recent Iranian election videos have shown.”
On Monday, Apple’s Apps Store on iTunes made the new TwitVid.com app available for users of the iPhone 3G S.
“Twitter followers can begin watching those videos instantly – even before you’ve finished uploading the video.
“TwitVid is the only Twitter video service that allows instant playback – which we feel is key to the user experience,” the company wrote in its blog.
By John Kennedy


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It´s a fitness tracker, a music player, a communications device, a handheld portal to other apps, a virtual wallet making payments via Apple Pay, a remote control for Apple TV, an electronic key to open doors, and a smart control device to manage your house. It boasts swipe-to-glance features, voice-activated controls, and mail functionalities. It´s being charged via a combination of magnets and inductive charging. The Apple Watch will start at $349 in the US for the aluminum and glass Apple Watch Sport. The Apple Watch comes in two case sizes, 38mm and 42mm. Both of which can be set up to work on either your left or your right wrist.
Huawei revealed its first Android Wear device called the Huawei Watch. As for the size, the watch is a compact 42mm, which is apparently friendlier to those with smaller wrists. It also has a standard 18mm lug width and you have the choice of either metal or leather straps. Like other Android Wear watches, the Huawei Watch has the usual features, such as a heart rate monitor and fitness tracking, plus a six-axis motion sensor and a barometric sensor.
Smartwatches available today have rectangular or square displays. It is the first projection watch and instead of using a conventional touch screen display the smartwatches uses a pico projector. Ritot projects everything on the back of the hand and its absolutely safe for your skin and health. Users can change the projection color in just one click, they have the ability to choose from more than 20 colors.
Sony decided to make the platform used in computerized of Sony SmartWatch , more open, having given to third-party developers opportunity of creation and loading of alternative insertions. For these purposes were published all technical details and instructions. Before for “clever” watches from Sony it was possible to create only third-party applications. Opening of broader access to Sony SmartWatch happened after that there were messages on development of competing products by forces of the Apple and Samsung companies. According to forecasts of analysts of ABI Research, in 2013 the sale of “clever” watches will exceed 1,2 million pieces, which in terms of money will make 370 million dollars. By 2015 the volume of this market will grow by 20 times.
It seems that the boom of smart watches is going on, because the company Google , like the Samsung and Apple, is working in creation the smart watches. Google is new company for stepping into the watch world. This Google smart watch will be developed by the Android. This means, that the company plans to get a consumer product on a speedier timeline. Google gave the patent application for smart watch in 2011. Smart watch will have number of useful functions, such as to give instructing, to receive information about products, and also to send notices by e-mail. On the other hand, Google already took important steps in development of the Google Glass project. The device is always at the user, ready to instruct here and now. Besides, it is convenient and necessary.
Apple’s new product named iWatch may launch in this year and as expected will run with full version of iOS. The features of iWatch were first reported by Bloomberg. But, it is more or less obvious that the Apple won’t begin to submit at once two markets unfamiliar to it one by one. According to the information, that on the project of Apple iWatch works hundred of experts, the Bloomberg agency decided not to stop on the reached. The iWatch has flexible touch panel and a food from the kinetic store. This watch will be equipped with a pedometer and a pulsator whereas On will allow to receive calls and to check the location on the card. In this gadget, also, will be sensors, tracking health of the user, for example, the counter of a warm rhythm.


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Data from Barclaycard shows that 88.6% of total card payments were contactless in 2020.
The total value of contactless payments increased 7% year-on-year.
Grocery stores saw a 29% increase in use of contactless.
The average value of contactless payments is now £12.38.
What does this mean?
Last year, contactless payments were encouraged as a safer way to pay amid the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, the spending limit was raised to £45. There are still calls for the limit to be raised further.


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Shipping containers on a path to destruction give new meaning to the old saying: “The bigger they are the harder they fall”.
The challenges posed by climate change could make traditional farming methods difficult in the future, and that’s where The Cube comes in.
Container ships are one of the safest ways to move cargo, so it’s great that the industry is looking at greener ways to get the job done.
It’s a luxury hotel, in the middle of a vineyard next to an old oak tree. It’s also made entirely from shipping containers.
Shipping containers can be used in a number of imaginative ways, some of which you’ve probably never considered.
Elon might attract most of the attention, especially with SpaceX’s recent successful launch, but Kimbal can definitely hold his own.
Developers are turning old shipping containers into beautiful micro apartments, and they’re clearly popular around the world.
Congrats – your business is off the ground, killing the competition, and has the potential to go global. Now what?
Take a break and enjoy the creativity and eco-friendly designs that went into these superb container buildings.
Shipping container homes are all the rage these days, and now London can boast a hotel made entirely from the repurposed containers.
Given the advancements we have seen with self-driving cars, it was only a matter of time until cranes were in on the action.


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14 January, 2023 - 17 January, 2023
Riva del Garda, Italy
01 February, 2023 - 02 February, 2023
New York, United States
13 March, 2023 - 15 March, 2023
22 April, 2023 - 26 April, 2023
North Carolina, USA
17 June, 2023 - 20 June, 2023
Riva del Garda , Italy
The U.S. headquartered automotive manufacturer is reported to be planning to close down a Canadian production plant that builds sedans and pickup trucks as part of a global restructuring.
Located in Oshawa, province of Ontario, the closure of the GM plant is said to concern nearly 3,000 staff, including hundreds of high-paying jobs. Thousands of other indirect jobs, such as auto parts suppliers, could also be affected. According to local media, the decision is linked to the automaker's plans for a comprehensive global restructuring.
In a statement, Unifor, a trade union that represents 2,500 workers at the plant, said it had received a notification from GM that there will be a “major announcement” on November 26, which will impact its global operations.
GM has other operations in Canada, including a plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, where it assembles Chevrolet Equinox. GM’s total car sales in Canada declined -8.9% in the month of October, and -5.3% since the beginning of the year.
Sources: France 24/CP24


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Cities will eventually be filled with people who want to go online, charge their electric vehicles, and stay connected to the rest of the world following some catastrophic event. A new product announced on Tuesday was built to serve all those needs and more. Bid farewell to stodgy old light poles and say hello to the futuristic Totem pole.
The gadget’s description reads like a bunch of buzzwords put into a blender. Totem relies on solar power, offers wireless internet access, can recharge electric vehicles, and uses batteries to make sure all these services are available even in the wake of a city-wide disaster. It can replace lampposts, too, because it also illuminates the streets below.
All of those features have a common purpose: Totem said on Tuesday that the device is meant to help energy, comms, and transportation tech “undergo radical transformations to support the emerging needs of truly smart, clean cities” of the future.
Totem combines many of those efforts into a single device instead of trying to create different solutions to each problem. The first model is expected to debut in summer 2017. Inverse contacted the company to learn more about its plans and will update this post if it responds.


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Drastic change in Nathu La
So how does Sikkim gain? The state, after all, produces nothing that can be exported to Lhasa.india Updated: Jul 07, 2006 03:38 IST
When Chinese traders crossed over to India to do business after the Nathu La Pass was thrown open on Thursday, they expected to see grassy slopes and snow-crested mountains — things they remembered from their past trips or had heard of from their ancestors. Instead, they got potholed roads, pigs rifling through garbage and quaint muddy towns dotted with concrete carbuncles. “So much has changed over the years. Roads have been built but not infrastructure,” recalled 75-year-old Gibu who came from Tibet. That was the sentiment of all others like him.
If the scenery left a lot to be desired, facilities were worse. “We were invited for lunch at Sherathang but when we got there, it was in a complete mess with everyone crying for food. Starting from army jawans to field workers, everyone was literally fighting with each other for a plate. This is disastrous,” Gibu said.
Chinese traders also got very little time to do actual business. Since the border gates were opened after 11 a.m. and trading closed at 3.30 p.m., that gave them just about four-odd hours.
Indian traders didn’t have such a harrowing time. When they crossed over to the Tibetan plateau, they expected to see yaks and mules — once the only way of getting around in this terrain. “But as soon as we got our customs clearance at the border, we were taken to the trade mart point at Rechengang in Tibet by swanky vehicles which we had never imagined,” said Motilal Lahkotia, one of the first businessmen to cross over to China on Thursday.
After the first day of trading, Indian traders realised the tremendous demand for Indian goods. “Just walk into any curio shop in Lhasa and chances are you’ll find that the Buddha statuette you picked up as a souvenir was actually crafted in Moradabad in UP,” said Suresh Kumar of Gangtok.
Not only souvenirs, they saw Chinese traders in hosiery from Ludhiana. “Trade was already there, even though the Nathu La border was closed. They were getting things from Kathmandu. But now we are offering the same items at half the price,” Kumar added.
So how does Sikkim gain? The state, after all, produces nothing that can be exported to Lhasa. But traders are optimistic. “Sikkim and the Sikkimese will definitely gain if they get into the transport and warehouse sectors,” said Lakhotia. “People make fortunes just supplying fodder to mule trains. Others earn lakhs supplying mules and muleteers and many profit from offering their godowns as warehouses,” he added. In modern times, this would mean providing trucks, fuel and storage facilities.
A study conducted by the Sikkim government says bilateral trade is expected to reach $12 billion by 2015.


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Starship Technologies: looking forward to 2021 | by Ahti Heinla | Starship Technologies
Grocery chains are increasingly relying on new delivery alternatives, as they seek to meet customer demand safely and effectively. Last September we announced our first partnership with a leading U.S. grocery chain, The Save Mart Company, to provide on-demand, instant delivery of their customers ’preferred products to their door.
When university students return, our robots are busy offering contactless, fast and inexpensive delivery to campus. The number of independent deliveries is growing, recording records every week. We have plans to expand to several new universities by 2021.
As we move on to the next chapter, Lex Bayer stepped down after serving as CEO of Starship from June 2018 to October 2020. During his tenure, the number of deliveries completed by the Company’s autonomous robots grew from 5,000 to of more than 500,000, with more than 1 million miles traveled. We are proud of the growth and accomplishments of Starship this season and we are grateful for Lex’s contributions, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.
I will act as the unintentional CEO as we find the very best person to lead the company in the future. Since founding Starship with Janus Friis in 2014, I have been proud to have had a part in achieving our vision, including being CEO for nearly four years and more recently as CTO.
By early 2021 we expect to have our one millionth autonomous delivery. We’ve come a long way thanks to our new and leading team of robotics but – more importantly – the great team of people who have made our company what it is today. I can’t wait for us to share more news about our Starship trip soon.


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iOS 4.2 Coming November 7th According To Apple Support?
Nothing like a hot thursday rumor to make your drool over it during the weekend. Apple has just released a Support document in which it acknowledges they do have problems with making the iPhone swap times during DST in regions like the UK and Australia, where people have recently missed their alarms and have arrived late for work. What’s interesting about this document is that aside from offering the temporary solution of disabling repeating alarms on your device, it also mentions that this will no longer be necessary as of November 7th.
So,.. given Apple is not a big fan of offering patches on their devices without a full OS upgrade, (though we know it has happened in the past once),.. all we can assume is that November 7th will be the date when iOS 4.2 will be released. Surely this is the date DST ends in the US, so it could also be the case that the devices are set only with the US policy, but given GM Candidate releases are usually just days away from final OS releases, we do hope this is the case.
Remember, us iPhone and iPod Touch owners don’t expect much from iOS 4.2, but the fact that we will get AirPlay, AirPrint, and the Dev-Team’s carrier unlock for iOS 4.2 are enough to keep many of us on the edge of our seats.
Let’s hope this rumor is true.


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Porsche is readying a revamped 911, and new spy photos capture the coupe’s cold weather testing once again. The sheer camouflage covering the car is hard to see, but the automaker has hidden some restyling underneath.
The car did not receive a substantial restyling, but it did have a few new design features that the Porsche public didn’t want the public to see. At the front, the intake bumper featured active vertical slats, something seen on other test vehicles. This provides cooling to the radiator when it is open and better aerodynamics when it is closed. Camouflage also covers the headlight units, distorting their design and the daytime running lights.
We suspect Porsche made major changes to the rear bumper, which is hidden from view. However, we can see two circular exhaust pipes poking out at the back. The automaker also hid the engine cowl, though the overall design isn’t that far off from today’s cars. The 911 features an iconic design that is challenging to change.
Previous spy photos provide a glimpse of the 911’s interior. The automaker is hiding most of it from view, but the photos reveal that the model will receive a new digital instrument cluster. Even the previous spy shots capture more of the cabin, which looks very similar to the current model, including the center console and infotainment screen.
Information about the 911’s powertrain options remains largely a mystery. We know Porsche is developing a hybrid variant that will focus on performance rather than efficiency. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume described it as “very sporty”, It should be an excellent competitor to the new hybrid Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, featuring all-wheel drive for the first time. Rumors continued to suggest that Porsche would replace the 911 to use the naturally aspirated engine, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
We don’t know when Porsche plans to reveal the new 911, but it will be this year. Expect the entry-level 911 Carrera to debut ahead of the launch of the remaining variants, which will also receive new styling tweaks. We may see the debut of the Turbo trim before the GT3, with other variants appearing alongside it.


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Forrest beef buy-up continues with $7m Minilya Station deal
Andrew Forrest has increased his footprint on WA cattle country to about 1.2 million hectares after finalising the purchase of Minilya Station between Carnarvon and Coral Bay.
The long-awaited deal, believed to be worth $7 million, was signed off yesterday. It has taken more than 10 months to settle and pass through the State Government approval process.
Mr Forrest’s private company Minderoo now owns five cattle stations — Minderoo, Nanutarra and Uaroo in the Pilbara and Minilya and Brickhouse in the Gascoyne.
Minderoo considers Brickhouse and Minilya as relatively undeveloped in comparison to its Pilbara properties. Minilya is earmarked for centre pivot irrigation as part of a big investment in increasing cattle numbers.
Minderoo also sees irrigation potential at Brickhouse, but it is closer to Carnarvon and there are complications associated with the town’s water supply.
Minilya, owned by Ric Stowe until 2010 and most recently in the hands of Chris Wade, covers about 300,000ha.
In a little more than two years, Minderoo has gone from owning one station to the biggest player in the WA beef industry.
Cattle numbers on its pastoral estate have grown from about 5000 soon after Mr Forrest re-purchased Minderoo on behalf of his family in 2009 to 50,000.
Minderoo-owned Harvey Beef carries another 10,000 cattle on its books and spreads them across a handful of feedlot operators in preparation for slaughter in accordance with weight and quality guidelines.
Harvey Beef had only a few hundred cattle valued at $259,000 on its books when Minderoo purchased the business for about $45 million in 2014.
Mr Forrest will use Minilya in conjunction with the other stations to supply cattle to Harvey Beef, where he unveiled a $25 million upgrade last month. Beef packaged at the new facilities began appearing on Aldi shelves this week as part of an exclusive long-term supply deal.
Mr Forrest used the launch to distance himself from the live export industry, saying: “I come from the school that believes we should only export live animals if there is no other choice.”
Cattle producers are enjoying record prices of up to $6/kg to supply processors in WA.
Live exporters have also had to pay more for cattle. This has put the squeeze on companies like Wellard, which is expected to announce a big profit downgrade today.
1.2mThe number of hectares now in Minderoo’s portfolio
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U.S. stocks continued to march toward records as the latest batch of corporate earnings and data from China boosted optimism in the global economy. Bonds fell and the dollar edged lower.
The S&P 500 pushed to a fresh six-month high, while the Nasdaq 100 topped its intraday record. Morgan Stanley and PepsiCo. Inc. rose after posting solid results, while CSX Corp. and Kansas City Southern lifted transportation stocks. Netflix Inc. advanced even after a weak subscriber forecast. IBM Corp. dragged the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower after sales slumped.
In corporate news, Qualcomm Inc. headed for the highest since 2014 after settling with Apple over royalties. Sprint Corp. slumped on reports its merger with T-Mobile US Inc. was said to be in doubt. Data overnight showing China’s economic growth, industrial production and retail sales all topped estimates boosted equities around the world. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index erased a drop, while shares rose in Japan and Shanghai.
The yield on 10-year Treasuries climbed to a four-week high and the dollar stayed lower after the U.S. trade gap unexpectedly narrowed. European debt also dropped, while the euro strengthened even as Germany’s economy ministry revised its growth forecast lower.
Options traders see balanced risks for the euro before August
As earnings continue to pour in, investors are growing more confident the anticipated drop in first-quarter results won’t spoil the year. At the same time, central banks around the world remain accommodative, and the latest Chinese data appears to have calmed jitters that the world’s second-largest economy was headed for a slowdown.
Elsewhere, oil climbed after data showed a surprise drop in crude inventories. The New Zealand dollar retreated after inflation slowed more than forecast, while the Australian dollar rose after the Chinese data.